Thrust bearing



INVENTOR A'rokw?l .I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 L uc/EN .7. YEoMA/vs ir/,Mw

THRUST BEARING Filed oct. l1, 1939 SSN AQ .Tru PQ March 3, 1942. L. l. YEoMANs THRUST BEARING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fia m@ Luc-IEN Il YEoMANs I ATTORNEY7 Patented Mar. 3, 1942 TnRUs'r BEARING Lucien I. Yemans, Chicago, Ill., assignor to E.

W. Bliss Company, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application October 11, 1939, Serial No. 298,915

(orcos- 160) 3 Claims.

This invention relates to heavy bearings of the fiat surface type,` such as are adapted for use to limit the end movement of' shafting, as in ordinary thrust bearings, or for step bearings adapted to support rotating parts of considerable weight, as in turbines and the like.

It is known that two perfectlyl flat and parallel film. In order to supportl an appreciable load the oil or other lubricant must be drawn into a wedgefshaped space between the surfaces in order to produce, during rotation, the fluid pressure necessary to maintain the film and hold the surfaces apart. 'Ihe angle at which such surfaces are positioned relatively to each other should vary with the speed, the load pressure, the type of lubricant employed and other incidental factors in the operation of the bearings. Such a thrust bearing essentially is composed of a series of independent bearing surfaces each adapted to lie in such relation with a coacting surface as to create and maintain the wedge-shaped lubricant filmwhich is essential to the support of the load.

My invention is directed particularly to the provision of relatively large supports which are adapted to carry the imposed loads and preserve the general position of the segmental bearing surfaces without deflection. At the same time these surfaces are` so supported that they will readily yield in such a manner as to permit the automatic positioning of the surfaces with respect to the coacting face such as to automatically meet the various conditions under which the bearing is employed.

The general object of the invention therefore has been to provide an improved thrust bearing construction which will afford more eflicient lubrication between 4the sliding surfaces and hence permit the handling of greater loads. A further object of the invention has been to mount the sliding surfaces with respect to each other such that variations in factors affecting the lubrication, -such as load, speed and the like may be automatically compensated for. Still another object has been to employ a simplied construction in the attaining of the foregoing ends, which construction will be readily accessible.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims; the annexed drawings andthe following description setting forth in detail certain structure embodying the surfaces will supportV little load upon a true oil however, but one of various structural forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings: Fig. 1 is a vertical," longitudinal, sectional view of a radial and double thrust bearing construction embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is-a transverse section through Fig. 1,

as indicated by the lines 2-2 thereon;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section similar to Fig. 2 showing a modified form of the segmental bearing plates;

Fig. 4 is a section through Fig. 3, as indicated by the lines 4 4 thereon;

Fig. 5 is a side elevationof a segmental bearing plate as employed in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of theretainer plate construction as shown in Fig. 1.

Referring now to Figgl, there is showna shaft III having an integral flange I2, the shaft being nounted for rotation in radial bearings I3. These bearings are of the pedestal split housing type embodying a base I4 and a cap I5. While the invention, as above indicated, employs a thrust bearing intermediate of the ends of the shaft, it

will be apparent that the construction may be modified to incorporate a thrust bearing at one or both ends of the shaft if desired.

The housing is provided with a pair of radial faces I6 adjacent each end thereof which support a ular backing plates I1. These plates in turn cgiy a retaining ring I8, preferably of bronze or other non-corrosive material.

They bearing segments are supported in a series of anchor pockets formed in the aforementioned ring. To this end each pocket side wall is V' shaped, as indicated at I9 to receive a resilient displaceable pad and retain the same therein.

l The pockets are bored, as at 20, to respectively thetic rubbers which have been so combined and ,E v 50,v

lubricants. These materials are essentially incured as to lbe most resistant to the effects of compressible, although readily displaceable, and

they provide'supports which yield slightly toallow the material to'ada'pt itself to Slight changes invention, such disclosed structure constituting, 56 in the angular position of the plates 2|,

'I'he wear receiving faces of the platesare faced with a bearing material 22 which forms with the thrust'flange l2 the desired thrust bearing. The portions of each of the bearing plates extending within the anchor pockets are machined so that their annular peripheries are spherical which, in a direction perpendicular to the anchor axes, have the same diameter as the cylindrical anchor pockets in the rings I8; thus allowing these parts to tilt relatively to each other.

Lubricant is supplied tothe housing in sumcient quantity to provide films between the flange face I2 and the corresponding sections of bearing material 22. This lubricant is conveniently supplied through a tapped socket 24 and then through passages 25, 26. 21 and 28 to the face of the bearing metal 22 on the segmental plates 2|. Surplus lubricant, after passing through the bearings, may be removed through the tapped socket 29.

'Ihe segmental bearing plates are slightly tiltable in their pockets, as hereafter set out and -are spaced from each other Vas indicated at 30 inFig. 2. v

A modied form of construction is shown in -poses accurately defined as incompressible Figs. 3, 4 and-5, in which the segmental bearing plates 2| are circular, as indicated at 2|a. If

desired, they may be made 'of any other preferred shape of face without departing from the essential features of the invention.

In operation this thrust bearing is supplied with lubricant at its inner diameter portion,

namely, the part closest to the main bodyv of the.

shaft. As the contactingv thrust collar on the shaft' rotates each segmental bearing plate tilts slightly to a small degree, amounting normally to from one to several thousandths of an inch, thus increasing the normal separation between i the bearing surfaces at the entrance point and From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided a novel bearing of increased lubrication elciency and which will handle great loads and occupy little space. Furthermore, by supplying an adequate amount of lubricant to .keep the oil system full the replenishing of the lms is completely automatic as is thel automatic compensation for varying characteristics of speed and load in the same bearing at different times.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated byA any of the following 'claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out anddistinctly claim as my invention:

1. In a thrust bearing structure, a-thrust face,

-a series of bearing plates adapted to cooperate with said face to form a thrust bearing, a supporting member adapted to support said plates, and'a solid thrust transmitting connection between said member and said plates to permit said plates to tilt about axes transversely of the axis of rotation while supporting the same at substantially all points thereof, said connection comprising portions ofthe bearing plates having annular convex surfaces, and resilient bearing pads interposed between said supporting member and said plate portions.

2. In a thrust bearing structure, a shaft member and a housing member adapted to receive said shaft, said members being rotatable relatively to each other, a thrust face formed on one iilm becomes so reduced in thickness that the illm breaks down and the bearing is loaded beyond capacity. The angle of the wedge is controlled by the speed of rotationbf the parts, by the loads imposed thereon and by the characteristics of the lubricant film. Itis also affected A by other incidental factors.

Hydraulic pressures of considerable value are created by this pump action and` definite suction existsA at the entrance locations so that as long as oil is supplied the constant renewal of the nlm between the bearing surfaces is completely automatic.

The pad or supporting material in the anchor pockets is displaceable, but practically incompressible and thus the confined thickness in each Apocket is such that all segmental bearing plate surfaces are in the same plane when the bearing is assembled and at rest against a fiat` coacting plate. When in operation, however, each bearing plate surface tilts slightly as aboveindicated and this causes a slight relative displacement of the supporting material, resulting in somewhat less thickness of material at the enof said members, a plate carried by the other of said members with a face opposed to and spaced from said first face, a series of spaced pockets formed in said second face and opening toward said first face', a segmentary bearing ring comprising a plurality of' interdependent bearing plates mounted in said pockets to form a bearing surface'withsaid rst face, said plates' having annular convex surfaces having a line contact with the side walls of said pockets in all positions of said plates, `and incompressible, resilient, lubricant-resistant supporting pads in said pockets engaging said plates.

l 3. In-a thrust bearing structure, a shaft member and a housing member adapted to receive said shaft, said members being rotatable rela-` tively to each other, a thrust face formed on ,one of said members, an annular member carried by the other of said members having a series of circumferentially-spaced pockets formed therein and opening toward said thrust face, bearing plates mounted in said pockets and conjointly` forming a bearing surface opposed to said thrust face, said plates having annular convex surfaces having a line contact with the sidewalls of said pockets in all positions of said plates, and resilient, lubricant-resistant 'supporting ring backing said plates.

LUCIEN I. YEOMANS.

pads in said 

